Heart Risk
by Enigmaforum
Summary: Xander learns that taking a risk can have the sweetest of rewards.


**Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned the Power Rangers franchise. Saban does though!**

**AN: I have no idea what brought this on but I'm very happy with it. It's definately a more grown-up fic for me in the way I wrote it and the subject matter it deals with. I'm enjoying the journey and hope you will too. Title is all thanks to the most wonderful big brother ever, Shawn. Love you! **

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Xander stormed into the apartment he had just bought and slammed the door behind him. It wasn't a big place by any means one room that divided into a living and bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. Tiny but it was a step in the way of growing up. He had graduated from high school a year ago and started college a few months after that. But all of that kind of paled in comparison to becoming a power ranger and wizard that controlled the element of earth and defeating the master of all evil. It had been a year since that defeat and since then Xander had become manager at Rockporium, declared a major in business, developed his magic more fully, and most importantly, fallen for his best friend.

The two had gotten infinitely closer as rangers and their friendship had only grown since they'd hung up the spandex. When Maddie had gone off to join Nick on his adventure with his parents, Vida had turned to him and when Chip had moved himself into the magical realm with Clare they had turned to each other. They both still took their magic very seriously but they liked being from two worlds. In the human realm Vida djed every other weekend in small clubs in LA and he went. She quizzed him for tests and quizzes. They had literally become each other's best friends.

But that had changed for Xander along the way. He had fallen for that spunky personality and ability to challenge him about anything. They flirted constantly and Xander had thought that maybe he could make his move. That he could prove to Vida that this was worth a shot that he had changed from the womanizer he'd been in high school.

He'd taken the risk of telling her how he felt after he'd come back from helping the overdrive rangers an hour ago and it had all backfired. Xander had indeed told Vida how he felt in the middle of the forest as they'd been walking back to the human realm. She had stared at him after he'd asked her out and then told him no before turning in the other direction and taking the nearest tree out of there.

To put it bluntly, Xander Bly felt like shit right now because he could have sworn that Vida felt something for him as well. He thought he'd seen it in her eyes when they gazed at each other a little too long. He thought she felt that spark that sizzled through him when they touched. He had apparently been very wrong on all accounts. Now all he wanted to do was mope and brood around his apartment because he was still too young to buy alcohol. He supposed he could call Adam but then he would get a lecture. He didn't need that right now.

He instead chose to fling himself face first onto the couch and just lay there. He couldn't hurt himself that way. And boy did it hurt to be rejected by Vida. He had finally taken the risk of putting himself out there for someone and she didn't like him.

"Fuck women," he muttered as he turned over and glared at the ceiling.

"Now that's not very nice."

Xander rocketed up to a sitting position when he heard her voice and his eyes found Vida standing in his apartment with a wave of pink magic coming off of her.

"Get out," he told her.

"No," she told him and he glared.

"Unfair use of magical powers," he said and she threw her hands up.

"So sue me. I knew you wouldn't let me in the normal way," she answered.

"Damn straight I wouldn't," he began as he pointed a finger at her. "You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want to be with me V so leave."

"Xander I-"

"No, just leave," he said. "I respect your right to say no but leave. I can't deal with you right now."

"Deal with me? Xander you have to deal with me. I see you every day."

"So I won't see you tomorrow then," Xander commented. "Just leave V."

"No."

"I will…you know what? Fine stand there for all I care just don't come any closer," he warned her as he dropped back down to the couch, exhaustion suddenly creeping up on him. Helping the overdrive rangers had taken more out of him than he thought and he just wasn't in the mood to deal with Vida and her rejection or her talking right now.

"Can I talk now?" she asked and he said nothing. He was going to act like he was twelve right now and give her the silent treatment.

"Fine I'm talking," she said. "You're listening."

"No I'm not," Xander commented, breaking his silence to lift his head up and glare at her again. This time he was met with her own glare and he blanched. A glaring Vida was never a good thing but right now he didn't care. He had every right to want her out of his home. He would always be her friend but when said friend turns you down and then runs away it makes you not want to see them for awhile.

"Stop acting like a petulant child Xander Bly," she warned and he snorted.

"Like you weren't acting like one earlier V? Because running away from someone? That kind of screams of acting like a child," he said and she stormed over to him.

"Your confession caught me off guard. I didn't know what else to-"

"Bullshit," he said and she startled.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, bullshit," he told her. "I know you've felt our connection for awhile V. I've seen it in your eyes. Felt it when we touched. I know you have to have felt it too."

"So what if I did?"

"Then why did you tell me no when I asked you out? Why did you run away?" Xander asked. "I like to think that I've proven that I've changed."

"You have changed Xander," she told him and he threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Then please for the love of god please tell me what's wrong here V," he asked her as he stood and looked at her. "You feel what I do; you see that I would more than happily put the time in to make it work with you. And you ran V. Tell me why."

"Did it ever occur to you that I didn't know what to say Xander?" she asked him quietly. "That I've maybe felt this but haven't accepted it? That you saying those things to me in the forest made me think? Xander I'm terrified."

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because we're best friends, if we screw this up there is no going back!" Vida yelled. "Because I'm terrible at relationships and with emotions like this. Because I would be the one to screw this up not you. It's a bad idea even if we both feel something."

"It's a bad idea to deny ourselves the chance to screw up V!" Xander seethed. "And why are you being so negative? Why don't you think we could work out? So you're shit at relationships, newsflash I am too."

"Then why are we even talking about this?" Vida screamed and Xander had to fight to keep his powers in control when he felt a light wind blow through the room.

"Because V have we ever given ourselves to be in a relationship with someone we actually want to be with," Xander told her. "We can tell ourselves we wanted those other people all we like but at the end of the day I could never see a future with those other girls. I see it with you. I told you how I felt and then you threw those feelings back in my face."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Vida whispered and he ran a hand through his hair.

"Well you did V. You ran instead of talking to me then and there," he told her. "If you had said I need time I would have backed off and given it to you. But you gave me nothing. Just a no and then you were gone."

"I told you-"

"That you were scared and didn't know what to do," Xander commented and she nodded. "I'm scared to V and I'm like a fish out of water with this. We're in the same boat but you're trying to jump ship before we can set sail."

"I didn't come here for this," she told him after a moment of silence. A sad smile covered her face when she looked at him and Xander was taken aback by the vulnerable look on her face. "I came here to tell that I was sorry for running and that you deserved better. I came here to beg for your forgiveness. I came here to ask you if…is it too late to say yes is?"

"I-what?" Xander asked as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry," Vida told him. "I'm very sorry."

"V I got that but the last part, say it again for me," he pleaded and she smiled.

"Can I say yes? Or can I ask you out because I want to?" she asked. "Because I want you. Like you want me, or at least like you used to want me."

"I still do V," he answered and her eyes lit up.

"So does this mean you forgive me?" she asked. "I'm stupid, and blind, and have I mentioned sucking at this feeling thing?"

"You're not stupid, of course I forgive you," Xander responded and she smiled then. Real and genuine; the kind of smile he loved on her. But when that smile turned into a devilish smirk he should have prepared himself. He waited for her to say something but instead found his eyes practically bulging out of his head when Vida took the ends of her shirt in hand and pulled it over her head.

He was greeted with the mouthwatering sight of her in a dark pink bra that matched perfectly against her tanned skin. When she went for the button on her jeans he managed to snap out of his hypnotized state and look at her.

"V…not that I'm complaining but what are you doing?"

"Well I was kind of planning on stripping until you said yes or told me to stop and get out," she said and he watched as she undid the button, slid the zipper down and then wriggled herself out of the impossibly tight jeans she wore. It did not surprise him to find that her boyshort panties matched the bra and he let his gaze drift along her incredibly arousing form before settling on her face. "Well?" she asked.

"Well…" he trailed off as he stepped up and pulled her against him. "I'm going to ask you to stop," he told her and watched as her face fell and she moved to get away from him but was stopped by his arms encircling her. "Let me finish," he requested. "You need to stop because I'd like to take the rest off myself."

She smiled up at him after that and nodded to the request.

"And your answer?" she asked and he grinned as he leaned down to kiss his pink ranger. It was different than any kiss he had had before. This one felt like coming home a she caressed Vida's lips with his own, trailed his tongue along the seam and then plunged inside to duel with hers. This felt so very right.

"It's a yes V, always a yes," he replied when they pulled away. "No more running?"

"No more," she promised. "I'm ready to face this with you."

She grinned and pulled away from his embrace then and grabbed his hands as she backed up towards his bed. He watched her when she pulled away completely and slide herself up on his comforter and propped herself up on her elbows to look at him.

"Are you going to stand there or come down here and do something with the half naked woman who wants you?"

"Depends," he asked even as he shucked his shirt and tossed it to the floor. He toed off the shoes on his feet and then crawled up on the bed to join her. He held his weight on one arm as he lay on his side and stared down at her. "Is the woman sure she wants this now?"

"Depends," Vida countered even as she reached up and pulled him down to kiss her again. "Have there been other girls in this bed?"

"In this bed?" he asked as his lips ghosted against hers. "No. It's new. So no one aside from me has slept in it aside from me. Am I innocent? No."

"I'm not either," Vida replied. "But don't you dare plan on their being other girls being here unless I know and approve of them. I claim you."

"You claim me?" Xander asked even as she pushed him onto his back and came up to straddle his hips. He let his hands drift against her skin and delighted in the shiver that ran through her body.

"Yep, we pink rangers are very possessive," Vida said as she leaned down and gave him another intoxicating kiss. "I'm here. I'm not leaving and if you so much as look at another girl the wrong way I will unleash my wrath upon you."

"Duly noted," Xander responded before he kissed her again. There would be time to talk later, right now he was all for living in the moment with his girl.

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**Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


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